A Florida teen’s suicide caught the attention of the world on Sept. 9, but it also gave rise to federal officials trying to fight a battle that belongs in the local and state arenas.

Last month, 12-year-old Rebecca Ann Sedwick jumped to her death in the Lakeland area. She had been bullied online by as many as 15 girls who messaged her with remarks such as, “Why don’t you go kill yourself?”

Cyberbullying, as it is called, is despicable behavior. Parents, police and educators need to be on the lookout for children and teens misusing the Internet to bully, intimidate or threaten their peers. They also need to make sure no child they know is being victimized.

But this doesn’t need to be a federal issue. North Carolina and 48 other states have anti-bullying laws.

On Tuesday, police arrested two middle-school girls for felony aggravated stalking in connection with the death of Sedwick.

But some in Washington, D.C., want a federal law. Members of Congress cannot even agree on a budget, yet they want to add a layer of laws and enforcement measures to an issue that local and state officials are wrestling with.

Understandably appalled by the death of the Lakeland girl and, especially, its root causes, Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., is pushing a federal bill on cyberbullying.

The Safe Schools Improvement Act of 2013 would mandate that local school districts establish policies that prohibit misconduct including bullying and harassment. The bill would also require local schools to collect and publish “annual data on the incidence and frequency of that conduct.” Nelson’s efforts go too far, using the power of the federal government to tackle an issue that is properly the concern of state lawmakers, police and local schools.

Ultimately, the issue is best handled by school officials, state legislatures, local police and — let’s not forget — parents.

Cyberbullying is the latest branch of old, vicious behaviors: bullying and harassment. These are behaviors that children and teens don’t fully understand. Thus, they may feel no shame when they engage in bullying. And in many instances, young victims cannot simply shrug it off. And there is shame involved in asking for help when there shouldn’t be.

Localities and states can take on these issues. Washington already has enough on its plate.

The prevention of bullying begins with adults taking some time to talk to children and teens about the sometimes tragic consequences of human cruelty, in person and online.

A version of this editorial first appeared in the Daytona Beach News Journal, a Halifax Media Group newspaper in Florida.